High-Speed Connections to the Internet Increased 63% During the Second Half of 2000 for a Total of 7.1 Million Lines in Service

Washington, D.C. - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today
released summary statistics of its latest data on the deployment of high-speed Internet
services in the United States. The information being released today was filed by qualifying
service providers on March 1, 2001, and includes data as of December 31, 2000. Qualifying
providers file such data twice a year under the Commission's local competition and
broadband data gathering program (FCC Form 477).

The local competition and broadband data gathering program was adopted by the
Commission in March 2000 to assist the Commission in its efforts to monitor and further
implement the pro-competitive, deregulatory provisions of the Telecommunications Act of
1996. Specifically, the data from this effort are used by the Commission for its evaluation
of the availability of advanced telecommunications services.

Summary Statistics

High-speed lines connecting homes and businesses to the Internet increased by 63%
during the second half of the year 2000, to a total of 7.1 million. The rate of growth
for the full year was 158%.

Of the total 7.1 million high-speed lines, 5.2 million were residential and small
business subscribers.

About 4.3 million of the 7.1 million high-speed lines provided services at speeds of
over 200 kilobits per second (kbps) in both directions, and thus met the
Commission's definition of advanced services, an increase of 51% during the last six
months of the year 2000. The rate of growth for the full year was 118%.

At the end of the year 2000, the presence of high-speed service subscribers was
reported in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin
Islands. Subscribers were reported present in 75% of the nation's zip codes,
compared to 56% at the end of 1999.

High-speed asymmetric DSL (ADSL) lines in service increased by 108% during
the second half of the year 2000, to 2 million lines. The rate of growth for the
full year was 435%.

High-speed Internet connections over coaxial cable systems increased by 57%
during the final six months of the year 2000, to a total of 3.6 million. The rate of
growth for the full year was 153%.

Although the provision of high-speed lines by satellite and fixed wireless
technology represents a small fraction of the total high-speed lines in use, the
number of lines grew from 50,000 in December 1999 to 112,000 in December
2000.

High-speed subscribers are reported present in 97% of the most densely
populated zip codes. The comparable figure is 45% among zip codes with the
lowest population densities, compared to 24% a year earlier.

For zip codes ranked by median family income, high-speed subscribers are
reported present in 96% of the top one-tenth of zip codes and in 56% of the
bottom one-tenth of zip codes, compared to 42% a year earlier.

As additional information from Form 477 becomes available, it will be routinely
posted on the Commission's Internet site. The Commission recently accepted comments (in
CC Docket No. 99-301) on whether various modifications should be made to the reporting
system.

The data summary is available in the FCC's Reference Information Center,
Courtyard Level, 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. Call International Transcription
Services, Inc. (ITS) at (202) 857-3800 to purchase a copy. The data summary can also be
downloaded from the FCC-State Link Internet site at www.fcc.gov/ccb/stats.